Long Description:On 2/10/2008, News.bg (visit link) reported the following story:

"The Newly Restored Boyana Church Opened Today

Updated on: 02.10.2008, 15:03Published on: 02.10.2008, 14:53The Boyana Church was opened in an official ceremony which puts an end to the restoration works.The unique monument is the first site, chosen for restoration with funding of the initiative "The eternal buildings of Bulgaria". Its goal is to support, restore and preserve the monuments of culture and objects of historical importance in Bulgaria.

During the restoration works (2006-2008) a remarkable discovery was made: the name of one of the three painters, unknown until this moment, was finally found.

"Bulgaria has priceless treasures of culture and some of them still need the support of the business', says Minister of culture Stefan Danailov.

The Director of the National Historical Museum, Bojidar Dimitrov, is convinced that the restoration has been successful and adds that its cost was 400 000 leva ( 200 000 EUR).

"It is important that the visual impression of the inside of the church acts on the imagination in a way that truly reminds us of the mediaeval times." adds up prof. Grigorii Grigorov, head of the Restoration Faculty in the National Arts Academy.

He shares that he was amazed by the unique techniques the Boyana masters had used.

The Boyana Church, in the eponymous Sofia suburb at the foot of Mt. Vitosha, owes its world fame mainly to its frescoes from 1259. They form a second layer over the paintings from earlier centuries and represent one of the most complete and well-preserved monuments of Eastern European mediaeval art. It testifies to the significant contribution of Bulgarian monumental painting to European culture in the Middle Ages.

A total of 89 scenes with 240 human images are depicted on the walls of the church."